This invention relates to a high frequency electronic ballast apparatus including a DC/AC converter for igniting and operating a gas discharge lamp. More particularly, the invention relates to such an electronic ballast employing a half bridge converter which provides a high power factor and a substantial reduction in the total line harmonic distortion relative to known electronic ballasts.
Various electronic circuits are known for energizing and ballasting electrical discharge lamps. It is also known that DC/AC converters of the half bridge type operating at high frequencies can be used for this purpose. U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,842, Aug. 28, 1990, provides one example of a prior art DC/AC converter. In order to prevent premature ignition of the gas discharge lamp before the lamp electrodes achieve normal operating temperature, a capacitor is connected in series with an induction coil and the discharge lamp. This capacitor is shunted by a switching element which provides improved ignition of the discharge lamp and thus extends the useful life of the lamp.
Another prior art half bridge high frequency DC/AC converter is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,493, Oct. 23, 1990. This converter circuit is designed to suppress charge current peaks in a buffer capacitor without using special filters. This is accomplished by charging the buffer capacitor to a voltage exceeding the peak value of the 60 Hz AC supply voltage for the apparatus. In addition to the first and second semiconductor switching elements of the half bridge DC/AC converter, the electronic ballast arrangement includes a third semiconductor switching element which is made to conduct for a given interval at the start of each period of the high frequency cycle of the converter. Thus, non-sinusoidal current waveforms which comply with government standards as to line current distortion are achieved by adjusting the conductance time of the third semiconductor switching element. A trapezoidal line current waveform is preferred. The energy flow through the load circuit is controlled by means of the duty cycle of the third semiconductor switching element. When the first semiconductor switching element is conductive and the third semiconductor switching element is cut-off, energy flows from the AC power supply lines. If the third semiconductor switching element is conductive, the energy is taken from the buffer capacitor. The duty cycle is adjusted so that a trapezoidal line current is produced.
U S. Pat. No. 4,935,672, Jun. 19, 1990, illustrates a further high frequency half bridge DC/AC converter in which the control circuit for one semiconductor switching element includes an LC resonant circuit and which further includes a diode coupling the control circuit of the other semiconductor switching semiconductor switching element whereby the switching of the semiconductor switching elements is synchronized in a simple manner and without the use of a voluminous and costly transformer.
In order to limit the harmonic currents injected into the AC supply lines, it is desirable that the AC line current have a continuous symmetrical waveform, such as a sinusoidal current wave. It has been determined that known half bridge converters produce AC line currents with a high harmonic content because of the electrolytic buffer capacitor connected to the output of a diode bridge rectifier which is usually present between the 60 Hz AC supply lines and the DC input terminals of the converter. When the output voltage of the bridge rectifier is lower than the voltage on the buffer capacitor, there is no current flow, an important factor in the poor harmonics characteristic of such a circuit. This type of converter circuit also exhibits a poor power factor.
It has been suggested that in order to avoid the zero current period, a bypass path should be provided around the buffer capacitor to ensure a continuous current flow into and out of the AC supply terminals. This can be implemented by the addition of some diodes and capacitors in a manner such that the half bridge DC/AC converter draws a nearly sinusoidal input current. The basic circuit consists of a self-driven half bridge converter operating at a high frequency to energize a discharge lamp. The circuit is supplied from a rectified AC line voltage via a bridge rectifier. A diode is provided in order to isolate the upper half bridge capacitor from the main storage capacitor. This diode also isolates the main storage capacitor from the bridge rectifier. Energy from a resonant circuit in the DC/AC converter is capacitively coupled through the isolating diode to boost the voltage on the main storage capacitor. By a proper choice of components, a current is supplied to the load circuit (discharge lamp) even when the instantaneous line voltage is below the voltage on the main capacitor. Thus, a current is drawn from the AC supply lines over the whole period of the AC line voltage, which provides a high power factor and low harmonics. It is also possible to substitute a voltage doubler circuit at the input in place of the bridge rectifier.
A half bridge high frequency inverter circuit operating on the Striker principle, i.e. charging the electrolytic buffer capacitor to the level of the AC supply voltage in order to prevent the flow of peak line currents, is shown and described in EP 0,244,644 A1 by Fahnrich et al.
Another known technique for achieving a high power factor and low line current harmonics in a half bridge DC/AC converter utilizes a boost converter preconditioner stage. A disadvantage of this approach is the significantly higher cost and increased size of the resultant device.